Hearts Beating ( Beta Edition)
by Foxton Stokholm 7120
Summary: After a couple months of escaping Joe and his fiends, Cass is reunited with Arat , a good friend from their first group along with 'Fat' Joey, and Bud, a savior she had met while in the same group as Joe and shared some of the same personal characteristics. By doing this , Cass sparked the interest of Negan himself, who she has very conflicting feelings for. (Unofficial Story)
1. Prologue

Prologue

"WHERE IS THAT BITCH!?" Cass hears in the distance, hiding

behind a tree to catch her breath. She tried not to breathe too loudly in fear that Joe's men would

be able to sniff her out. God if only she listened to that man about them and went with him right then

and there. _Oh well,_ she thought. _I can't change what I did now._ Cass waited as the sound of feet crunching the leaves under them faded out. She then worked up the courage to dash towards the road, not thinking how that could've been a really bad mistake. She ran and ran, hearing the men chase her until at one point, she came across signs that read _Virginia Border_ and _Savior Territory._ That's when she remembered how Joe warned her not to go past that point under any circumstances. And so, knowing how he and his men wouldn't dare go past that point, Cass ran past the signs before she stopped and looked behind her to face her pursuers.

The men had stopped . One cursed under his breath while another shouted at her, " ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND WOMAN?!" Not long after, an old man slowly walked in front of the group, chuckling as he shook his head. Joe.

"Alright , sweat heart," he started. "You won for now, but once those Saviors have you crawling back over here, we'll be waiting..."

"...and we will get you."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It has been two months since Cass has crossed that border. Since that night, she was able to learn to live off the land, mostly staying hidden up in the trees to avoid any _biters_ . Things were starting to become comfortable, until she met started to encounter some _unfriendly_ survivors. One in particular really stood out to Cass; a middle aged man who tried to sneak up behind her and grab her, but ended up with being elbowed in the nose. After he staggered to the ground, Cass repeatedly stomped on his face for a whole minute before running. As she ran, the man yelled out to her, swearing at her and saying he was going to find her.

She ran for what felt like an hour before she came across what seemed to be an outdoor market just right beside the road. Cass slowed to stop and look at the area in awe. She didn't think there would be a market like this in Virginia. Deciding not to think to much about it, she decided to go into the market and scavenge for anything useful. Cass walked under the steel roofs that stood over the market to be greeted with the smell of rotten flesh coming from looked like a storage unit. Inside, it showed that it used to bear some great weaponry, most likely swords and/or knives. Further in lay a counter. Cass walked towards it, the putrid odor getting stronger the closer she got. Once she reached the desk, she found the cause of the stench. Behind the desk laid a decaying body, with something she never thought she never thought she would find again lodged into the body's head.

It was a black, full tang katana with neon green lined at the bottom of the blade. What was more unbelievable was that it looked like it was in great condition. Shaking her head, Cass said to herself,"Whoever left this was either rushed or a complete dumbass." She then drug out the body from behind the counter so she would have plenty of room to pry the sword lose. With one stomp on the body's skull and a firm grip on the handle, Cass began to pull. After a few tugs, the sword was finally freed. As she looked at her prize, she couldn't help but feel so lucky to be able to have such a similar sword from her last one, let alone be able to find a weapon at all. Feeling like pressing her luck even further, Cass went back behind the counter to see if she can find a sheath for the sword. After digging around a bit, she struck gold once more and found a black sheath made of metal and a strap that had the same mechanics as a belt. She sheathed her blade and put her left shoulder and head through the opening between the strap and holder before continuing to search for more supplies.

After what seemed like an hour of rummaging through a variety of different stands, Cass stumbled on to a rather peculiar area. This space seemed to have walls filled with untouched masks hanging from small, metal hooks, and a door that probably led to another unit . She just stood there, starring into that unit while recalling what that man said. Despite the chance that the man only made an empty threat, it made her think about people she pissed off before and during the time everything went to total hell, so hiding her face and identity completely was a very high objective for her. Besides, she had a mask beyond the border, so why the hell not.

Most of what was displayed were masks of cheap kid's costumes while the other masks just did not suit Cass' taste and even made her feel uncomfortable by just looking at them. So, she decided to go through a box of undisplayed masks near the entrance of that space. Once again it was filled with cheap kid's masks. With a sigh, she came to a conclusion that she would have to pick one of the creepier masks. And so, Cass went back into the space and noticed an unopened box on the ground of the left side of the room. Curious, she sat in front of that small box and placed it on top of her crossed legs. Then, she proceeded to tear through the tape with her nails and opened the cardboard container. Pulling out a piece of really thick styrofoam , the content was revealed to be a brand new, apparently custom made mask. The mask was white with ears, and the design was very unique. The ears were beholding black triangles outlined in red and the large eye holes were outlined in black _and_ red. From there, what looked like to be stitches were coming from the eyes all the way to the back of the mask and down to a big, red smile. And what appealed to Cass even more was how the black lines above the eyes shrunk to the black diamond (also outlined in red) that rested on the forehead.

 _Is this really necessary?_ Cass thought to herself. _I'm not in Georgia anymore, but what if I piss even more people off and need to keep my face hidden?_ After starring at the mask for a moment, she finally decided to take it. Just in case. But then, all of the sudden, she heard the engines of cars and the slamming of doors. _Fuck,_ Cass thought as she put the mask onand went through the door that led to another unit. She should've just left, but being a bit too curious, she left the door open just enough for her to see what was happening without being noticed.

It was not long until she started seeing several men walk past, all heavily armed with guns and knives. After most of them walked on, one of them stopped and looked at the masks. The man had brown, slick hair and looked like he was in his forties, but he wasn't just any stranger. Cass knew him. He was the man that warned him about Joe and his goons and even offered to take her away. He was the man that saved her from getting mauled by biters. He was a guy named Bud. After a moment of Bud looking at most of the mask the same way a child would look at someone younger when they would do something extremely uncanny, Cass wondered if she should approach him, until it happened.

All of the sudden, a loud bang rang through the unit, causing Bud and Cass to jump. It didn't take long to figure out that it came from something being swung at the entrance.

And that was when a man in a black, leather jacket and a wooden baseball bat that seemed to be wrapped in barbed wire strutted in. Bud sighed in relief and responded with, " Sorry, sir. I got carried away in here," and attempted to walk out. That was when the man in the leather jacket blocked his way with his bat, giving him a grin that made Cass uneasy. It was hard to explain, but the man's demeanor just gave her some really bad vibes. What made it worse was when the man started to talk. "Is there something wrong, Negan?" Bud asked, trying to keep his nerves.

The man smirked as he replied," A little birdie has been telling me that you have been crossing the border once a week for the past two months." Right when that was stated, Bud looked away as if he knew he was in some deep shit. Negan held his bat behind his back and leaned down to Bud's eye level and asked, " What's going on with you?"

Bud took a deep breath before responding," There is someone I met over the border that was in Joe's group. I warned her, but she didn't listen. Now I... I'm worried something happened." As she heard this, Cass couldn't help feel bad that she got her friend worried, but also feel a bit touched to know that he actually cared. Negan laughed. " Is this some old Romeo and Juliet type shit you got goin' on here?"

" No," Bud answered. " I just... relate to her."

" Ah hell," Negan stated." Another kid with daddy issues is exactly what we need." Bud crossed his arms as he replied," I'm not that much younger than you." Negan chuckled before continuing, "Seriously, is she that weak?"

"Well..." Bud started," she was able to stomp this one guy's head in. But without any weapons she can be overwhelmed when it's her versus a big ass group."

Negan thought for awhile before finally saying," I want you to find her, and bring her to me."

" But sir," Bud stammered, but got cut off. " Did I ask for feedback?!" Negan snapped. " I want you to find her. I want to see what this chick is all about. I want to put. Her. To. Fucking. Work. Am I clear?" Bud was shaking. He knew he couldn't talk back, nor disobey. So, he muttered," Yes sir."

After the men walked off, Cass took off her mask, put her back up against the wall, and sank to the floor. So many things were going through her head. What should she do? Should she find Bud and let her take her to that man? That seems like it would be the easiest option, but something about that man made her almost sick to her stomach. How he walked, talked, and how he even holds himself scares her. He almost reminds her of...

Cass' thought were interrupted by a distant voice. It sounded almost familiar. She got up and peered out the unit entrance and saw a woman ,who had black hair with blonde tips and tan skin, leaning on the wall that separated each unit, talking into a walkie talkie. Once again, Cass knew her. After the woman was done, Cass slowly walked out, which made the woman jump and reach for her gun. They both locked eyes and stared at each other for a small moment before Cass spat out," Arat?" The woman's eyes widened before they embraced each other tightly. After awhile they let go of each other as Arat stated ," I thought you were dead." Cass shrugged and replied with," Well good thing I'm not. Are you doing ok?"

"I'm doing better than ok!" Arat answered." The question is is what has been going on with you." Cass just chuckled and said," It's a long story."

" Well you can tell me back at the Sanctuary."

"Sanctuary?"

" Yes," Arat responded, taking Cass by the hand to lead her away while going on about how she would be safe there. Cass quickly snatched her hand back and with a shaky voiced asked," Is that Negan guy going to be there?" Arat looked at her in confusion, slowly stating," He runs the place. I'm one of his lieutenants." Cass started to back way as Arat asked her what was wrong. All Cass did was shake her head, saying that she had to go and quickly turned around, only to be faced by the chest of a well built man with a thick mustache and a reseeding hair line. The man grinned down at her.

"Well," the man began. "Where do you think you are heading off to?" He then looked down at the mask in Cass' hand and asked," And what the fuck is that?"

" I got this Simon," Arat said, once again grabbing Cass' hand to lead her away. But then Simon stopped them. " It didn't look like it," he interjected."Looked like she was about to run." Cass gulped. She was so scared, and what happened next just made things worse for her. As Arat continued to press to Simon that she has the situation under control, Cass felt a presence behind her. She turned around and found Negan leaning against the wall, smiling at her. Her heart began to race as she backed away from him. It didn't take long for Simon and Arat to realize that Negan was there. "Arat," he began. "You know this girl?"

" She is a close friend of mine," Arat replied immediately. "We were in the same group in the beginning." Then, Simon added in the fact that Cass was going to run. Negan looked Cass in the eyes, or tried to because Cass kept avoiding eye contact. "Is this true?" he asked her. She took a deep breath and admitted that she was about to. But then, Arat stated," The group we were in was really bad. She might be scared that she'll find a group like that. Right Cass?" Negan looked at Cass again as she nervously rubbed her arm and nodded. He chuckled,"Well you can leave that all behind. Trust me, we are very reasonable people once you get to know us. Just follow the rules and you'll be just fine." Then, he noticed the mask and asked about it. When Cass explained that she had one over the border to keep people from knowing who she really was, he gave her a look. "You must be Bud's friend, huh?"

"Y-yes," Cass stammered. Arat looked at her in surprised as Negan continued. "Wow," he began. "Got to admit, I'm surprised that he can restrain from being a total dick around a stranger. You must be pretty special." Cass blushed. " Anyways," he went on. " I'm excited to see what you are made of. Of course, you are going to start small, but I doubt you'll have trouble working up." Then, changing the mood of his voice, he added,"Don't disappoint me," and walked off with Simon trailing behind. Cass rubbed her face and let out a sigh. Arat then put her arm around her neck and said," C'mon, you're riding with me."

Author's note: Sorry if this seemed a bit dragged out, I wanted this chapter to be way longer than the prologue. More will be happening though.

Also, here is a link to get an idea of what Cass' sword looks like:

p/27-Blue-Ninja-Sword-Full-Tang-Machete-Tactical-Blade-Katana-Throwing-Knife-Set/522057363?iid=302091242859&_trkparms=aid%3D555017%26algo% %26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20170810093926%26meid%3Dd784653f66f646e981364a9fceb968eb%26pid%3D100854%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26%26itm%3D302091242859&_trksid=p2349526.c100854.m4779


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Traveling to this 'Sanctuary' felt to Cass that it was taking forever. But on the bright side , her and Arat were able to catch up on everything. After a while of Arat talking about how it is for her to have the status of lieutenant, she brought up Simon. "Listen," Arat began. " I'm sorry that Simon scared you as much as he did, but we've been hearing rumors about three women who wear masks that can cause a lot of damage. And I guess he has been letting those rumors get to his head ." Cass looked out the window and thought, _Should I tell her now?_ But after a short moment, she responded with," I'm surprised he was scared of me since he looks like he can easily throw me across a room."

" He wasn't scared," Arat replied. " He just didn't want you to be one of those women and just run away from us... By the way, why were you about to leave when I told you that Negan was the leader?" As a response, Cass tensed up for a moment before saying, " It's a dad thing.." Arat sighed. "Cass," she started," I'm not going to lie, Negan can be very... out going and be a bit offensive, but he would never bring down your mental health purposefully. Try not to take most of the offensive things he says to heart." After a short time of nothing being said, Arat continues to ask how Cass knew Bud.

"Oh," Cass began." I... met his dad and got involved in his group." Astonished, Arat interjects with, " Joe is still out there?!" Cass looks at Arat and asks," How do you know him?" Arat nods and says," He used to have Bud's spot before Negan caught him and his men trying to gang rape some women. We all chased them out and made them remember that they will be killed if they ever cross our path." Cass let that sit in her head for a moment before continuing. " Well one night, I was separated from the group and Bud found me hiding from a horde. We started talking and when I brought up I was in that group, he told me that I shouldn't trust them and offered to take me back to Virginia with him. But I made the stupid decision and eventually got chased out of Georgia. And ended up here."

"Wow," Arat said. "You must be pretty special to Bud for him to travel through two whole states every two weeks just to find you. Hell, him not to be a total ass wipe to someone he never met before is a miracle." Cass just looked out her window as the trees raced by. It felt nice to know that Bud cared for her that much, but the thought of going to this place made her queasy. She began to worry that once she got there, she will be like a fresh, new target for other saviors or be given a responsibility and then mess it up. Then she remembered the conversation between Bud and Negan and couldn't help but feel more worried. What does he have in store for her? Is he going to immediately throw her in the field. It all circled around her mind until Arat's voice came through. "You are going to do fine," she said. " Once you get the swing of things, it will come easy to you. I promise." Suddenly, the car screeched to a stop. No more trees were around. Only a gloomy sensation surrounded them. " Here we are," Arat stated. Cass looked forward.

What lay before them was huge factory with biters chained to a fence and to scattered cars on one side. The huge gate before them slowly opened to let them in. Once Arat parked the car off to the side, they both got out of the car and Cass was able to get a better look at the place. There were many people around, whether they were keeping guard or just socializing. Some even came out to unload whatever they found at that market from the truck behind them. Then, Negan stepped out of the truck and walked towards Arat and Cass. " A lot to take in, isn't it?"

" Just a little," Cass responded softly, nervously holding her arm. "Good," he continued. " So Bud told me your little story and to be honest, I'm a bit impressed. Once again, Bud is usually a dick, so I'm surprised he even let you hide out with him. You must be a special snowflake, huh." Cass just shrugged and said that she doesn't even know herself. "Well," Negan began." From what I'm hearing I'm hoping to have you contribute a good deal to this community. You know how to shoot, right?" She then looked down and shook her head.

"Seriously?" Negan added.

" Well" Cass went," every group I was in thought I was good enough with a sword so no one really taught me." _Oh boy,_ she began to think. _I'm gonna be made fun of. Just look at how he said ' seriously'. Shit._ But to her surprise, Negan shrugged it off and said, " Not a big deal, I'll have Regina teach you." He then looked around and said, " How 'bout I give you a little tour on the way to my office so we continue our little chat." And so, they went off, leaving Arat behind to deal with the men unloading the truck. Once inside, Cass saw the many people that filled the factory. It was like seeing bees swarming all around their hive. After a short time making their way around the abundance of commotion going on around them, they came across a middle-aged woman, who looked stronger than any women Cass came across, crouched down and tying her boot . " Hey Regina," Negan began. " We got a new one."

The woman just looked up at her and raised a brow. "What's wrong with her?" Cass looked at her with confusion while Negan explained that she didn't know how to shoot and needed to be taught. Regina got up and put her arms on her hips. " How well do you think you can fight?" she asked.

" Well," Cass started," I'd say I'm pretty decent. Especially with a sword or knife." Regina nodded. " Come back here tomorrow," she responded. " I'll meet you here and evaluate your skills to see what you need to work on." Cass thanked Regina before following Negan back to his office. With every step she took, however, her anxiety grew stronger and stronger. It felt like her heart jumped in her throat while bugs buzzed all around her gut. If Arat was there, some of that felling would be reduced, since she knew how to read Cass and express what she is feeling better than her. All Cass can do is just stammer while trying to be clear. It would just be another thing to be made fun of. She can just scene it.

"Here we are," Negan stated as he opened the door to reveal a big room with a long, metal conference table right in the middle. "Take a seat," he added, pulling out a chair near the end where he sat. Cass gulped before doing what she was told. She held her arm nervously and avoided eye contact as Negan began. " So," he says," From what Bud has told me you are a pretty interesting lady. I want to know your story."

"Well," Cass started, still trying to avoid eye contact. " I was just starting college when everything happened. After a while I found myself in a group with Arat and another guy as my only friends while the others were just terrible to hang around with. After a few weeks we all got separated and I was alone for a long time before two other women found me and we formed a small group until we eventually got separated. Everything else Bud told you." After she finished, she gave a quick glance over at Negan, who had his feet up on the table and his bat resting on his shoulder. "Well shit," he said. " Guessing you had to let go of some very close people. But what about your life further back from when it first happened?" Cass tensed up, trying to figure out how much she should say. "Is it too personal?" he asked. She took a deep breath and said," My childhood just wasn't that great. Nothing else to it."

A moment filled the room until Negan finally broke the silence. " Ok, so for now I'm going to put you on gate watch until we see more of what you can do. Arat should be outside to show you to your room. She will fill you in on the details. You can go ahead and leave." Cass thanked him before getting up and heading to the door. Negan watched her leave, thinking real hard about their interaction. He then got up and cracked the door to see how Cass interacted with Arat. But what he saw surprised him. Down the hallway some, he saw Cass hugging Fat Joey with Arat standing there, smiling.

" I swear to god I thought you were dead, dude!" Cass exclaimed one she released Fat Joey. " Why?" he asked. " I know I'm fat but I can run... kinda." Cass and Arat just laughed. _Huh,_ Negan thought. _Never thought that she'd be the type to be like that. Why is she just so much more out there when I'm not around?_ Once he realized what he was thinking, he tried dismissing those thoughts, telling himself that he barely knew her and that he shouldn't already be asking questions like these. Negan watched the three of them walk away before closing the door and getting back to work.

" And this is your room," Arat said, opening the door to reveal a somewhat small apartment that had a big window above a king sized bed and a small kitchen in the back. Cass was amazed."How did y'all turn this factory into an apartment complex?" she asked. Arat shrugged and replied," With the right things you can make anything."

"Alright," Joey interjected. "Here's the thing. Our shift starts at ten o'clock and ends around late afternoon. Like at one or two thirty. It might be different for you but we usually have Wednesday as a half day and we have Mondays and Thursdays completely off. And luckily for you, tomorrow is Thursday AND I'll be the one training you so you won't have to be uncomfortable and mess things up."

"You know me so well," Cass replied, plopping down on the bed and setting her bag up against a small counter that held a digital clock right next to her bed. " So," Arat started. " How did that talk with Negan go?" Cass laid back and rubbed her eyes while replying, " He asked me about my past." Arat and Joey looked at eachother before Joey asked, " Did you tell him about your dad?" Cass shook her head. " I just said that I didn't have a good childhood." She then took a deep breath, letting all her muscles relax into the oh so comfortable bed her body missed so much. Finally, Joey said," Well, I'm gonna get us all food and maybe sit down and talk about what all has happened?"

" I've got nothing else planned," Arat says.

" I'm down," Cass added. Joey nodded before leaving the two to their own devices.

" You asked for me?" Bud asks, walking into the office to see Negan waiting for him. He then points to a seat with his bat and started the conversation once Bud sat down. " Bud," Negan begins. " Your friend is a very interesting woman to say the least. How did your little dick brigade feel about her?"

" I didn't tell them." Bud replied, making Negan raise his brow. " And why was that, Buddy-boy?" he pressed further. "Because its none of their business," Bud replies again with agitation,

" Watch your tone," Negan responds with a deep tone, making Bud retract a bit, but not too much to not continue. " Look," he starts, " I'm not required to give my men anything about my personal business."

" Why is she so personal to you?" Negan asks, leaning forward. " Do you like her and was scared of the any other man here taking her away from?" Bud's face turned red as he clenched his fist under the table. Trying to contain himself, Bud says," I don't like her like that. The reason why she is personal is because I know how it feels to go through what she went through. And so I sympathize with Cass." Negan starred at Bud for awhile before asking, " What did she go through?"

" That's not my business to tell," Bud answers softly. After another moment of silence, Negan leans back in his chair. " Don't keep things like this from me again. I'm I clear?" Shaking, Bud mutters, "Yes sir." Negan chuckles as he dismisses Bud. Once out, Bud takes a deep breath in and starts walking to Cass's room.

Author's note: Hey guys, sorry I haven't uploaded in a while. I was starting to loose motivation but I did get it back... somewhat. I know I promised I'd upload once a week but idk how that is going to turn out right now. To any of you who decided to follow this story I'm sorry in advance for the inconsistent upload schedule. I am going to keep writing this story, don't get me wrong, but when I am going to upload will be up in the air since I also have to keep track of my deviant art. So for right now, I'm only going to upload once I get some good motivation going since it's hard for me to find it. I hope you understand.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

" So Simon really messed you up, huh?" Joey asked after he was given a brief summary of how things went down. They all had just came back from getting a few containers of food so they could have their own little buffet of sorts, mainly pasta dishes. " Well," Cass replied." Simon only intimidated me a small bit due to his size, but the one I'm really worried about is Negan."

" Then you should stop eating that spaghetti he made," Arat pointed out, prompting Cass to put her plate filled with the delicious pasta on the table. Arat laughed and continued. " Cassilda I promise you that Negan is not that bad." Joey gave her look which made her retract. " Well," Arat began. " He's a tiny bit better than you think." Cass rubbed her face and said, " For some damn reason he's all interested in me and giving me attention that I don't want."

" I mean," Joey began. " You are new, so he might just be making sure that you aren't a liabillity. But I do admit, Negan usually doesn't go as far as asking about your childhood. But I'm sure that he will leave you be after you've settled in and he knows you aren't a threat." Cass just shruggs her shoulders. " Are you seriously not going to eat that just because Negan made it?" Arat asked. Cass looked at the dish for a moment before picking it up and devouring it, getting a few laughs from her friends. " Honestly," she began," it tastes a bit better than my dad's. God I can still remember how exactly it tastes."

"Weird," Joey interjects before a knock interrupted their get together. They all look at eachother before Cass gets up to open the door. When she did, she saw Bud standing on the other side of the entrance, holding something behond his back. " Oh hey!" Cass exclaimed. "How's everything going?" He just shrugs and replies, " It's goin'. You remember you told me that one of the things you missed was pizza?"

" Please tell me that you guys also make pizza."

" Sorry, but no. But," Bud pulls out a folded blanket that has dots in resemblance to pepperoni," I found this and thought of it as a good housewarming gift." Cass looks down at the gift and smiles as she discovers how soft it was when she took it from Bud. Cass hugs his neck, thanking him and wishing him well on his way back. They then waved their goodbyes as Cass retreated back in, facing her friends' looks of confusion. "What?" she asked. Joey and Arat looked at eachother, and then back at Cass. " He is never like that," Joey finally explains. " You gotta be very close to him."

" Or he likes you," Arat interjects.

" Or he is just trying to be nice," Cass responds, throwing the blanket on the bed and sitting back down. "Dude," Joey starts, " he is a total DICK. Do you know how many times Bud got repremanded for starting uneccesary shit?"

" All we are saying is try watch for how he treats you versus how he treats everyone else, because honestly, it looks like he likes you. Especially with you just wearing that underhirt as a top." Cass rolled her eyes. Arat new that she tends to get hot fairly easily, hence taking off her teal button up shirt. But, she just shrugged and went for another dish to put on her plate.

" So, " Simon begans, " how do you think the new girl is gonna hold up?" Him and Negan were outside, where the small wave of walkers were tied to the fence that surrounded that area and chained to the scattered, run down cars. " I like her," Negan relpies, swinging Lucille onto his shoulder and leaning up against the railing. " Pretty sure she's going to do just fine. Bud told me on the way back that that chick can do some awesome super ninja shit. And wait until we teach her how to 't that be cool to have on the front lines." Simon, who had bent down over the railing, thought about that. From what he has seen, the new girl seemed to be too scared to even impliment those skills Bud apparently described. But there was another thing about her that showed Simon she is not mentally stable enough. "Didn't you see the cuts all over her?" Simon asked .

" Yeah," Negan stated. " So?"

"Aren't they obviously self inflicted? This can show that she is not mentally stable to do any of this." Negan turned to face Simon, the usual assholish grin leaving his face. " Don't be a hypocrite Simon. Remember that you yourself can be considered ' not mentally stable' with you being so trigger happy all the damn time. And your my right hand man! If you can reach that high up so damn easily Cass can be a good ass soldier." Simon kept his eyes on the ground. He didn't agree to any of what Negan said. But it is better to leave the arguement than to piss him off even more. And so, Simon muttered a yes sir and that was that. At least for saying it all out loud. But after that , Simon just kept going inside his head on the way back to where he resides. Why did Negan get so defensive over her? He doesn't even know her. It all just confused him. Eventually decided to just not think about it too much.

Cass walked quietly down the hall in hopes of not disturbing anyone. Arat and Joey had left thirty minuets before, so she decided to walk hoped to get somewhat of a feel of things so that she would be a bit more confident about her surroundings . Eventually, she saw an opening that revealed the abundace of stars in the night sky. She was so captivated that she walked towards it without thought. It was when she was out in the open when she noticed that she wasn't alone. Facing the fence, with his back facing Cass, was Negan resting himself up against the bars. She tried to back away quietly, but Negan's voice broke the silence, making Cass stop dead in her tracks. " Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked, his eyes locked on the night sky.

" Y- yeah," she stammered as she reluctantly joined Negan. It was silent for a moment before he continued." In all honeslty, I think you are hiding more than are letting on." He then turned slightly towards her, one of his brows up and a grin on his face. " What do you mean?" Cass questioned, still avoiding eye contact with him. Negan then got a bit closer to her, which she didn't like at all. "Bud told me about how you single handedly killed a pretty decent horde of the dead with just a sword and you you merely stomped an asshole's head in with your steel-toe boots. Is he lying?"

Cass took a deep breathe , crossing her arms as she relpied with a simple " No." Negan chucled and leaned back. " Look," he continued. " If I stepped on a nerve brining up more of your past -"

" You didn't," Cass interrupted. " You're ok."

" You sure?" Negan asked.

" Yeah," Cass responded. "It's just... No one really asks me that. The only people who really know are Arat, Joey, and Bud."

" You mean 'Fat' Joey," Negan began, making Cass give him a look without thinking. " I don't like calling him that," she responded, looking away. " Why?" Negan presses. " Because," Cass begins, " I know how it feels."

After a moment of uncomfortable silence , Negan spoke again. " Look," he began. " I may not show, it but I really do care about my people. I may bust people's balls here but I wouldn't intentionally hurt any one here who didn't deserve it. " Cass looked down, as if she didn't completely believe him, so he went further. " That asshole," he continued, " that Arat told me about that tried to rape you? If he even dared I would've shut that shit down real quick." When he finished, Cass looked at him and asked, " Why are you so determined to let me know that you care about your people?" For a quick moment, Negan looked a bit starteled. But then he responded with , " Just, wanted to make you feel safe here. From what you have told me, things haven't really gone your way. I just wanted to reassure you that you are safe here, even if I barely know who you are or what you're gonna do." And then, at that moment, Cass looked Negan in the eyes for a split second and quickly looked away, feeling the most exteme level of uncomfortableness rushing through her body.

" It's getting late," Negan says. " I'll try to see you again in the morning after Regina evaluates you." He then walks away, swinging his bat onto his shoulders, wishing her a good night.

It was a late morning, probably around nine or ten o'clock when Cass made her way back to the same spot where she met Regina. On the way there, she did the usual and thought about what was going to happen. Was she going to end up sparring with her? Cass was hoping she didn't have to, concerned about seriously hurting the other person in the process. She stopped thinking about it once she reached the spot. " Cassilda Buckley!" a voice shouted at her. It was Regina, standing outside of a nearby opening that led to the had a little bit of embarrasment on her face. She hated her first full name. _I bet Joey told her,_ she thought. She jogged over to Regina to have padding that you would give to a kick boxer thrown to her. Cass immediately knew what was about to happen.

"Alright," Regina started, leading Cass out in the open." We won't spar for very long. This is to only get a little taste of where you are at. If things start to get too much feel free to call a time out. What is your fighting style?" Cass, putting on the hand pads, responded with, "Mixed martial arts." Regina, looking a bit impressed, nodded and got into a fighting stance. " Ready?" she asked. Cass followed suit and said, " As ready as I'll ever be." Then it began. Regina made the first move. Her fist went flying straight towards Cass' face. Cass dodged just in time. Regina went again, Cass also being able to dodge and also get one strike into Regina's face. " C'mon Buckley," Regina began. " Don't be afraid to go all out now." Soon, without realizing it, people started to swarm around the two. People started to cheer. Through all the voices, Cass could hear Arat's voice creep through. " C'mon Cass!" she heard. Cass looked for Arat in the crowd, causing to give opportunity for Regina to finally strike her in the face. Cass fell on the ground, a bit stunned. Trying to leave no more room for Regina to give anymore blows, she quickly got up and finally started to truly fight. At full force, Cass punched Regina in the stomach twice before kicking her in the face. The crowd almost lost it as she went down. She then held her hand up, showing that Regina had seen enough. Cass held her hand out and helped Regina get on her feet.

Suddenly, a loud BANG filled everyone's ears. They all looked up to see Negan, who had hit Lucille against the railing. " What the hell are all of you getting distracted for?!" he shouted. He then looked down to see Cass and Regina. At that moment, Cass realized that she had forgotten to put on her buttoned up shirt, revealing not only the curves of her body through her tight undershirt, but the thousands of scars scattered across her arms. All for everyone to see, including Negan. Cass closed her eyes , trying to avoid the feeling of judgement that might befall on her. Eventually, Negan told everyone to get back to work and left. Everyone falling suit, Regina gave Cass her overall thoughts.

" You're not half bad," she said. " But, you need to work on staying focused and not being afraid to use your skills, reguardless of any relationship you have with anyone." Cass nodded and was told to meet up with her every Thursday to train with her for two hours. " I hope I didn't go overboard with you," Cass stated before leaving. Regina brushed it off. Assuring that she will be fine. " Oh," Regina began. " Negan wants to meet with you again . Ask Arat to escort you to him."

Cass looked at her friend worriedly, who ushered her to follow and to not worry about what could happen.

Author's Note : Hey, I'm alive. Since I've been gone for a bit, I wanted to put in some extra stuff so the chapter would be a bit longer. Also, if you want to know what our little anxious pupp looks like, here is her ref sheet ( gonna re draw it soon):

foxton-stokholm/art/Past-Cassilda-Buckley-Ref-Sheet-752687842

ALSO, the cover to this is going to be here soon and in the next chapter i'll put the link to it so you can see it better.


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